Season a Turkey Breast
The lean white meat of a turkey breast gets some of its taste from the breast bone but lacks the dimension that the added fat and carcass give to a whole roasted turkey. Use assertive spices and season your turkey breast beneath and on top of the skin for the most penetrating flavor.
Steps
- Combine enough salt and poultry seasoning in a small bowl to cover twice the surface area of your turkey breast.
- Use roughly 1/3 salt and 2/3 poultry seasoning.
- Start with 1/3 cup salt to 2/3 cup other seasonings and then make more if you run out.
- Add olive oil to the bowl to form a spreadable paste.
- Alternatively, you can rub the turkey breast with oil before rubbing it with the salt mix instead of adding the salt directly to the spices.
- If you’re using garlic as well to season your turkey breast, you can add a tablespoon of crushed garlic to the mix at this stage of the process.
- Place the whole turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack set over a plate.
- Wipe the turkey breast dry with paper towels before seasoning it.
- Loosen the turkey skin from the meat.
- Use a thumb or forefinger to gently pry the skin up and away, leaving it connected to the meat at the edges.
- Spread half of the seasoning paste underneath the skin in an even layer with your fingers.
- If you chose to rub the breast with oil before rubbing it with the seasonings, make sure to massage some oil into the meat beneath the skin as well.
- Spread the remainder of the seasoning paste on top of the skin and rub it in making sure to coat the whole breast.
- Transfer the breast and the rack into a roasting pan and allow the turkey breast to rest, seasoned, at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking.
- For better flavor, put the turkey breast in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, let the meat reach room temperature again before roasting.
Tips
- Instead of commercially-prepared poultry seasoning, use fresh thyme, sage and rosemary and freshly ground black pepper. You’ll need about double the amount of dried herbs.
- For a pretty presentation, work 4 or 5 fresh whole sage leaves under the turkey skin just before roasting.
Warnings
- To avoid bacterial contamination, wash your hands, plates and utensils that come in contact with uncooked turkey.
Things You'll Need
- Small bowl
- Large plate
- Wire rack
